Case Against Jared Sullinger to Proceed

Sullinger, 21, was in Waltham District Court Monday to face charges of assault and battery, destruction of property, and intimidation of a witness in an Aug. 31 incident with his girlfriend, Deann Smith, at Sullinger’s Waltham residence.

Sullinger’s lawyer, Charles Rankin, said Smith does not want to continue the case and she is not fearful of Sullinger, but the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office is planning to pursue it. Sullinger’s next pretrial hearing is Oct. 28, two days before the Celtics open the regular season against the Raptors at Toronto.

“The case is pending,” said Stephanie Chelf Guyotte, director of communications for the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office. “We believe we have evidence supporting the charges and we’re continuing to move forward.”

This is a good reminder to everyone: It only takes a split-second terrible decision to end up in the system, and once you're there, it's a lot harder to get out of it. Still surreal to see Sullinger wrapped up in something like this, however.

I'm sorry am I the only one who is critical of Sullinger here or is everyone on the "do t get caught" bandwagon? I of course hope he comes out better on the other side but to me Sullinger has breached the realm of idiot professional athlete (who just happened to play for OSU) stop being an idiot get your shit tiger he play ball and make $, people say athletes make mistakes too bla bla bla yeah well they also get off easy in court and are afforded a lifestyle in which they have the means to live a lavish yet safe and clean lifestyle, there's never an excuse

Well if he is found guilty, that means that a jury of Sully's peers convicted him after they heard evidence presented in front of an impartial judge who made sure the proceedings and evidence were fair and legal and I think it would no longer be a publicity stunt and an instance where he actually violated the law.

I'm with you in spirit, Fry, but having seen friends and family members wrongly accused of domestic stuff and having been through a somewhat stressful divorce myself, I'll submit that there are two sides to every story, and none of us on a message board really knows what happened between these two. The courts will do their thing, and until then, it's just a story that makes me sad, but one about which I think we should all withhold judgment.

Spot on Andy. People always hear the horrible things men are accused of doing in these situations. What isnt told is what actually happened. Who really knows what happened. Maybe she was screaming, threatening, and creating most of the problems...at the end of the day when the cops arrive, blame almost always falls on the male.

While the situations are in no way comparable aside from the "he said/she said" aspect, look at the reporting re: the Carlos Hyde debacle. Based on the early reports, one could have believed that he actually decked a woman in that @&*%hold of a club, when in reality the video showed nothing remotely like what the Mindy Drayers of the world reported.
We have some information in this case, but withholding judgment until we know more is the prudent thing to do. And yes, I have a daughter, and if a guy ever tries any of this tough guy business with her, to quote AirForceNut (below), "@&*% will get blown up."

unfortunately we live in a society that when a women cries foul, it is often followed with your arrest, and then the rest of your life in major chaos. It is a fact, it is not Innocent until proven guilty, it is GUILTY until they decide on what they want do with you.

I feel the DA is pushing a bad position here. The "key witness" and alleged victim does not want to press charges. If he did the crime, he should do the time. But with this development and the fact he is innocent until proven guilty, the DA is going to have a hard time proving the case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Does anyone have a daughter in here?? Did the injuries just magically appear? I will not cheerlead for the lawyers and won't for sullinger either. Hope it is settled via trial and it rests on the facts!

Does anyone have a daughter in here?? Did the injuries just magically appear?

Seriously man? Did you read the account of the incident? He didn't cause injury to her. He pinned her against the bed, intimidated her, and broke her cell phone. It is still wrong what he did, but let's not go with the scorch the earth position here...

Even if it was right after he found out she was cheating on him in a serious relationship? Maybe I'm a horrible person, but I'd say he acted with restraint. He owes her an apology and a new cell phone.
Not that what he did can't be domestic violence or abuse... but to me that is in the case of a repeated, consistent situation of threats of violence. Losing your temper to that point but still not actually harming someone in a single emotional situation is very different.
Just going off media reports, though -- if the judge finds this serious, I'll believe the court.

I'm sorry, but some people's fandom knows no bounds. Saying this is a publicity stunt, hopefully the charges get dropped, etc. - I just don't get that logic. Why do you hope charges get dropped? If he's guilty, I hope charges are filed. If he's proven to be innocent, hopefully they are dropped. And the alleged victim in this case not wanting to press charges is irrelevant. That's a hallmark of domestic violence cases. Women recant frequently and don't want charges filed. Doesn't mean someone is guilty or innocent, just pointing out the irrelevance of it. DAs aren't going to pursue a case if they don't have evidence. I understand people have agendas in life, but people also believe others have agendas way too often. You ever think maybe just once the DA thinks he has evidence pointing out someone is guilty? Let's not act like criticism wouldn't be pouring in if this was an ex-Michigan player. Heck, if this was just Joe Blow from Galion, Ohio, everyone wouldn't care and wouldn't have an opinion. Don't let athletes make you delusional.

Kyle, given that you don't often weigh in on the inane ramblings of the masses, when you speak, I pay attention. And although I cautioned against throwing Sully under the bus in my comments above, I have to agree with what you've said here:
If he's guilty, then he should be punished. None of us should rush to conclusions in either case, and suggesting that the D.A. has an agenda or is out to rack up publicity in this case makes us look as bat-@&*% crazy as the Mark Mays of the world.
This whole story makes me sad - I hope regardless of what happened or what happens, that we can all agree that women should be treated with respect, and that in this country we're still innocent until proven guilty. Until the legal process plays out, rushing to praise or condemn Sully is a fool's errand.

To play devil's advocate (not because I think this way specifically about the DA). The District Attorney is an elected position so publicity 100% matters to DAs. Domestic Violence is not a publicity/slam dunk case DAs generally use to bolster their re-election and/or trial record...
However, in this case and specific jurisdiction the DA recently released Jared Remy (famed Red Sox broadcaster, Jerry Remy's son) on his own recognizance after being arrested in a domestic dispute with his GF. Less than 24 hours, Jared Remy allegedly murdered his girlfriend.

The point is, the DA absolutely is aware of this and another slip up with a domestic dispute may make him look light on those types of crimes and the media could have a field day with it.
That very may well be the reason why he has said he will continue to pursue the case (Heck even Sully's lawyer cautioned against this).
Bottom line, as many have stated, everyone needs to let the situation play out before casting judgment.

That's so true. I think there are enough things going on here that Sully walks, albeit ashamedly so and with a PR blemish and a lightened wallet, but I leave it to the commentariat to select the most important factor:
1. The victim doesn't want to press forward
2. The case is weak
3. The defendant can afford a good lawyer
If you picked point 3 as being the overwhelming likeliest determinant of justice in this case, congratulations - you've accurately identified the biggest part of the problem with the justice system. Still works as it should in most cases, but an old friend of mine described it thus: "Life is a shit sandwich. The more bread you have, the less shit you have to eat".

The only thing that's new in the world is the history that we have forgotten.

I think when most people say they hope the charges will be dropped, they are saying they hope that he actually didn't do what the charges said he did. Not that he has the charges dropped even if he is guilty because of who he is.
If he is guilty, he should be tried and convicted.

Columbus to Pasadena: 35 hours. We're on a road trip through the desert looking for strippers and cocaine... and Rose Bowl wins!